'Too many countries heading in wrong direction; COVID to get worse & worse': WHO chief

With the United States registering more than 60,000 new confirmed Coronavirus cases in a record single-day high, the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 13 warned that there would be “no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future”. Speaking at a press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said, "It’s never too late to bring the virus under control," however, he warned that “too many countries are headed in the wrong direction.”  

'It’s going to get worse and worse'

While a total of 13,135,134 confirmed cases and 573,304 fatalities were reported globally due to the novel coronavirus as of July 13, in a regular COVID-19 briefing, WHO chief Tedros said, “Mixed messages from leaders are undermining the most critical ingredient of any response: trust."

He further said, "If governments do not clearly communicate with their citizens and roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives; if populations do not follow the basic public health principles of physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, coughing etiquette and staying at home when sick; if the basics aren’t followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go, it’s going to get worse and worse and worse."

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WHO’s comments come in wake of surging numbers in the United States which recorded 3,441,503 confirmed cases of COVID-19, accounting for nearly half of all new cases globally. In the largest single-day spike, Florida detected more than 15,000 new cases, prompting WHO to call the countries to draft newer comprehensive strategies to contain the outbreak.  

On July 13, Mexico surpassed Italy in the COVID-19 deaths toll as it recorded more than 276 new deaths, pushing the total number of fatalities to 35,006. Mexico’s Health ministry urged the people to maintain social distancing and follow health safety measures as the country became the country with the fourth-highest death toll from COVID-19. On the other hand, India witnessed a record high single-day spike of 27,151 new coronavirus cases, while more than 540 succumbed to the disease. 

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(Image Credit: AP)